Odes to Lithium is a 2019 book written by Shira Erlichman. The book contains poetry focusing on Erlichman’s experiences with having bipolar disorder; more specifically, it is a love letter to lithium, the medication that she uses to navigate her symptoms. Throughout its pages, readers can experience a bold, humanized look into a mental illness that is often misunderstood.

The book is divided into four parts: Knife Flower, Cockroach, Baby & I, and The Monk. Each section charts a progression of Erlichman’s relationship with bipolar disorder and lithium. Stylistically, the poems range in terms of stanza length, either feeling fast-paced or drawn-out. This structure serves as a way for the book to almost mimic the symptoms of bipolar disorder, echoing manic highs and depressive lows.

One poem, “Mind over Matter”, confronts the common belief centred around mental health treatment; that someone can simply will away their symptoms. This thought process is damaging to those with mental illness, as it implies that it is something that can simply be controlled through changing how one thinks. One part of the poem reads: I tried. But mind over matter is a joke. The mind is matter.

Other poems go into Erlichman’s experiences with treating her bipolar disorder, namely through lithium. In “Side Effects”, she details how lithium affects her physical state, and how these consequences on her body translate into behavioural changes. She uses dreamy imagery to convey her feelings, elevating the poem into a beautifully haunting portrayal of what lithium affects her. As from the poem:

The side effect of it is good, is it is bad. The side effect of it is bad is crossing your legs in the psychiatrist’s office, talking about side effects. The side effect of side effects is living your life.

No matter how bad Erlichman’s side effects get, she must keep trying to carve out a good life. Even though there are complex emotions surrounding how lithium makes her feel, she knows it is all a part of how her life operates while having bipolar disorder.

Even though Erlichman experiences side effects due to lithium, she still sees it as her caretaker. In “Lightweight”, she describes going to parties and being called a lightweight for not drinking; the truth being that anti-manic medications do not mix well with alcohol. Here, she portrays lithium as a “dedicated father clearing the driveway”, with the driveway representing “the whole world” (referring to her). She muses: they don’t know it’s not the wine/somebody cares for me. In this poem, lithium is her protector, keeping her safe from the gravity of her symptoms.

For the most part, this is why Odes to Lithium exists. Erlichman wished to express her gratitude towards the medication for helping her improve her quality of life. Through her striking writing style, Erlichman successfully conveys her experiences living with bipolar disorder, bringing awareness to its symptoms, as well as the joy and self-love that can be experienced despite them.

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